Rico Taylor, Heroin and Fentanyl Conspiracy, Pennsylvania 2023

A Pittsburgh man involved in supplying a notorious drug gang has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Rico Taylor, 35, was handed down a 57-month prison sentence by United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV in federal court.

According to the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, Taylor was a source of supply for heroin and fentanyl for Christopher Highsmith, one of the most culpable co-defendants. The investigation, which began in 2017, targeted the Darccide/Smash 44 neighborhood gang and drug-trafficking activity in and around the South Side area of Pittsburgh.

Intercepted communications revealed that Taylor was involved in the distribution of heroin and fentanyl. As a condition of his guilty plea on April 29, 2020, Taylor accepted responsibility for possessing with the intent to distribute 39 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl.

The case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, known as OCDETF. The program supports comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.

Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Bloch and Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department.

The investigation revealed that Taylor was a key player in the distribution of heroin and fentanyl in the Pittsburgh area. His sentence is a significant blow to the Darccide/Smash 44 gang and a major victory for law enforcement in their ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.

The case is a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by drug trafficking organizations and the importance of continued efforts to combat this threat. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/pittsburgh-man-involved-supplying-drug-gang-sentenced-nearly-5-years-prison